Madrasa Bou Inaniya, Educational and medical complex in Salé, Morocco.
The Madrasa Bou Inaniya is an educational and healing complex in Salé with a carefully organized layout that separated medical areas from teaching spaces. A central courtyard ringed by carved columns opens to rooms whose walls feature intricate tilework, carved wood, and calligraphy.
This institution was established during the Marinid dynasty, a period when Moroccan rulers invested generously in public buildings. It represents an important turning point when healing and scholarship came together under a single roof.
The name reflects its founder, a common naming practice for Moroccan institutions of this type. Visitors can see how closely learning and spiritual life were intertwined in the layout of the spaces.
The complex can be explored on foot and its different functional areas remain identifiable, though some rooms may not always be open to visitors. It is helpful to check locally about current conditions before visiting, as access and timing can vary.
This is one of the few surviving buildings in Morocco where medical treatment and religious education functioned as equally valued activities. This rare combination shows how integral both pursuits were to medieval scholarly understanding.
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